Wine with Food Flashcards
Which two components tend to make wine taste harder (more astringent, bitter, more acidic, less sweet, less fruity)?
Which make wine taste softer (less astringenet/bitter, less acidic, sweet, more fruity)?
Sweetness and umami.
Acid and salt.
Food is more likely to impact wine taste than vice verse (generally negative impact).
How does sweetness in food impact wine?
Increase perception of bitterness, astringency, acidity, and the warming effect of the alcohol in the wine.
Decreases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine.
E.g. dry wine seems less fruity and more acidic. Dishes with sugar should be matched with wine that had higher sweetness than the dish.
How does umami impact wine?
Increases perception of bitterness, astringency, acidity, and warming effect of alcohol in the wine.
Decreases perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness of the wine.
E.g. asparagus, eggs, mushrooms, ripe soft cheeses.
Should be matched with high tannin (Bitterness in wine comes from tannins).
How does acid in food impact wine?
Increases perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness.
Decreases perception of acidity in the wine.
Balances high acid wine, enhances fruitiness.
How does salt in food impact wine?
Increases perception of body
Decreases perception of astringency, bitterness, and acidity in wine.
Enhances fruit character and softens astringency.
How does bitterness in food impact wien?
Increases perception of bitterness in the wine.
Generally bitter effects add to each other.
How does chilis heat in food impact wine?
Increases perception of bitterness, astringincy, acidity, and the burning effect of alcohol in wine.
Decreases the perception of body, richness, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wien.
Effects of chili greater in high alcohol wines, increases burning effect of chili (which some people enjoy).
How should food and wine flavour intensity compare?
They should be matched so one does not overpower the other (some scenarios where strong food e.g. curry can be matched with light white wine e.g. light intensity).
Which type of wines go well with fatty food?
Acidic wines, cuts throguh the richness and cleanses the palate (subjective effect).
How do sweet wines and salty food go together?
Subjective, can be very tasty (e.g. sweet wine and blue cheese).
What are the two categories of wine pairing foods and wines?
High risk and low risk
What are the high-risk foods and high-risk wines?
Foods:
Sugar - high sugar goes with wine that has atleast as much sugar as the dish.
Umami - emphasises astringency/bitterness of tannins, wine paired needs to have necessary components such as concentrated fruit flavours to cope with change in wine taste. High levels of umami can be balanced with acid/salt in the dish
Bitterness - emphasizes bitterness in wine, white wines or low-tannin reds good.
Chilli heat - white wines or low tannins reds, low alcohol in both. Fruitiness and sweetness can also be reduced by chili heat so consider wines with higher levels of these copmonents to make thi seffect less severe.
Wines:
The more structural components, the more possible taste interactions and more complications in pairing. Most problematic wines will have high bitterness and astringency from oak and grape tannins, combined with high levels of acidity and alcohol and complex flavours.
What are the low-risk foods and wines?
Foods:
High in salt and/or acid. Note high acid foods should be matched with high acid wines otherwise will taste soft and flabby.
Wines:
Simple unoaked wines with a little residual sugar are unlikely to be made unpleasant by any dish, but change little with food so pairing can be a bit boring.
Clasic pairings e.g. champagne and oysters, no bitterness in champagne to be increased by umami in oysters.
What is the concept of matching or contrasting flavours?
Matching structural components of the food with the wine.
